Engineering:Mudflap girl
Mudflap Girl is an iconic silhouette of a woman with an hourglass body shape, sitting, leaning back on her hands, with her hair being blown in the wind. The icon was created in the 1970s and is found on mudflaps, clothing, and other items associated with trucking in the United States.[1]
The image is also referred to as trucker girl or seated lady. Over the decades there have been many variations upon the original image including women portrayed with different and more diverse body types.
Creation
This image was originally believed to be modeled on Leta Laroe, a famous exotic dancer at the time.[2][3] However, it is more likely that the design is based on Rachel Ann Allen. The design was created by Bill Zinda of Wiz Enterprises in Long Beach, California, to help his friend Stewart Allen in promoting his line of truck and auto accessories.
Popular culture
The image of Mudflap Girl appears in many forms of media. Sometimes it is simply a nostalgic image and other times it is a critical commentary. For example, in the 2023 production Mudflap Girl by Sya Sen, the image is seen through the eyes of people who have lived in different decades since the inception of the character.[4][5]
Variations
There are numerous variations on the original image.
- Chicken – Mudflap Girl as a chicken was used in the Wacky Package "Perdude Chicken", parodying Perdue Farms.[6]
- Elita One – In issue #4 of the Dreamwave Productions comic Transformers: The War Within, Optimus Prime is portrayed as having a mudflap with the silhouette of Elita One.[7]
- Flipping Off – The feminist blog Feministing used as its logo an ironic version of Mudflap Girl holding up her middle finger.[8]
- Megaphone – The "Feministas" protest group in Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder has a similar logo in pink that has Mudflap Girl using a megaphone.[9]
- Reading – Wyoming Libraries use Mudflap Girl holding a book, in an effort to attract readers.[10][11][12]
- Trucker – Silhouette stickers of a chubby male with a beer belly are also available.[13]
Copyright
Mudflap Girl received a trademark in January of 2010 from registration from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. [14] [15] The copyright is associated with Ed Allen, the son of Rachel Ann Allen, but has never been enforced as the image has already entered popular culture.[14]
References
- ↑ Trebay, Guy. "Front Row; Burly Girl Power". The New York Times . 19 August 2003.
- ↑ "Mud Flap Girl", simonroy.blogspot.com, April 16, 2007
- ↑ What I Learned About Truck Mud Flaps. Boosh News. 28 March 2010.
- ↑ Hobson, Louis B.. "Hobson's Choice: Religion, showgirls and one-act plays" (in en-CA). Calgary Herald. https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/hobsons-choice-religion-showgirls-and-one-act-plays.
- ↑ "Calgary Region One-Act Play Festival 2023". https://pumphousetheatre.ca/calgary-region-one-act-play-festival-2023.
- ↑ "Wacky Packages Topps 6th Series 2007 Sticker: Perdude Chicken – #18". Wackypackages.org. http://www.wackypackages.org/stickers/6th_2007/scans/base/18_front_perdude.html. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
- ↑ "File:TWW4 ElitaOne.JPG – Transformers Wiki". https://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:TWW4_ElitaOne.JPG.
- ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". Feministing. http://feministing.com/frequently-asked-questions/. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
- ↑ "Feministas – The Infosphere, the Futurama Wiki". https://theinfosphere.org/Feministas.
- ↑ The Wyoming Libraries Campaign
- ↑ "Library's Mudflap Girl Campaign Turns Heads", by Matt Joyce (AP), Casper Star-Tribune, March 23, 2009. [|permanent dead link|dead link}}]
- ↑ "Wyoming Libraries Mudflap Girl bookmark". Wyoming Libraries. http://wyominglibraries.org/images/mudflap-girl-bookmark.jpg. Retrieved August 30, 2010.
- ↑ "Chubby Mudflap Guy Euro Oval – Sexy Mudflap Girl – Window Bumper Locker Sticker". https://www.amazon.com/Chubby-Mudflap-Guy-Euro-Oval/dp/B00HZB5VZ6.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Barry, Keith (2011-04-29). "'Mudflap Girl' Was This Guy's Mom" (in en-us). Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. https://www.wired.com/2011/04/mudflap-girl-was-this-guys-mom/. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
- ↑ "Trademark Registration Number 3742024". United States Patent and Trademark Office. https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=77737601&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch.
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